What
role do enzymes play in nutrition?
To better understand digestive enzymes, we must first understand the role
of NUTRITION in our health. Nutrition is the body's ability to use and
metabolize food. There are 45 known essential nutrients that are required
in specific amounts for the body to function properly. The term "essential,"
as used here, means the body cannot synthesize them internally. Therefore
all "essential" nutrients must come from exogenous, or outside,
sources. In addition to carbohydrates, fats (lipids), complete proteins,
and water, there are at least 13 kinds of vitamins, and at least 20 kinds
of minerals required for proper metabolic function.

Once
consumed, the food containing these nutrients must be digested, meaning
they must be broken apart and reduced to a state that the nutrients can
be absorbed into and transported by the blood stream to all parts of the
body.

Our
body's cells are programmed to direct each nutrient to combine and interact
with other nutrients and chemicals to create still other chemicals and
compounds which, in turn, are used to build and repair the body's cells,
bones, tissue, and organs. The process is called metabolism.
Each metabolic reaction is started, controlled, and terminated by enzymes.

Without
enzymes, no metabolic activity will occur. A body that does not consistently
and efficiently metabolize the essential food nutrients necessary cannot
maintain optimum health.

What
are the types of enzymes?
Enzymes are classified into three categories.

DIGESTIVE
ENZYMES

FOOD
ENZYMES

METABOLIC
ENZYMES

Metabolic
enzymes run the body. They exist throughout the body in the organs, the
bones, the blood, and inside the cells themselves. These enzymes are instrumental
in the growth of new cells and the maintenance of all tissue. Every organ
and tissue has its own group of specialized enzymes. They are trained
to run and maintain their host. When these enzymes are healthy, robust,
and present in adequate numbers, they do an excellent job carrying out
their mission.

The
two kinds of enzymes we are concentrating on here are DIGESTIVEENZYMES and FOOD ENZYMES. These two are active only within
our digestive system. These enzymes have one main job — to digest
our food.

DIGESTIVE
ENZYMES are made by our body's organs. Digestive enzymes are
secreted by the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas, and the small intestine.
[Technically, digestive enzymes are also considered to be metabolic enzymes
whose metabolic role is to digest food. We are specifically distinguishing
these particular enzymes here, because they deal with digestion and they
can be supplemented from an outside source.]

FOOD ENZYMES are already present WITHIN the food we eat. Food enzymes
exist naturally in raw food. If the food is cooked, however, the high
temperature involved in the cooking process will destroy the enzymes.

Digestive enzymes and food enzymes basically serve the same function,
which is to digest our food so it can be absorbed through the walls of
the small intestine into the blood stream. From this viewpoint
the only real difference between food enzymes and digestive enzymes is
whether they come from inside our body or from the food we eat.

Why
are digestive enzymes so important for digestion?
Most food, when it is uncooked, contains enough natural food enzymes to
digest that food. When you cook the food the enzymes are inactivated (denatured)
and can no longer assist in the digestive (breaking down) process. Eating
raw food is totally acceptable in some cases and quite unacceptable in
others. We eat raw fruit and many raw vegetables, but less often do we
eat raw meat, raw fish (not withstanding sushi), or raw pork. Eating uncooked
rice is nearly a guaranteed trip to your dentist! So, obviously we cook
our food.

Here's
where the problem occurs. Cooked food contains no enzymes because they
have been destroyed. If you eat a meal consisting of a salad, a steak
and a baked potato, there are likely enough food enzymes contained in
the salad to digest it (break it down so your body can use its nutrients).
But, there are no extra enzymes available to help digest the steak or
the baked potato. Because the steak and potato are cooked, there are no
FOOD ENZYMES available to digest them, so our body must take over and
internally create the needed amount of DIGESTIVE ENZYMES to handle the
digestive task.

The
more we depend on our internally generated DIGESTIVE ENZYMES, the more
stress we put on our body's systems and organs and the less time these
systems and organs have for rebuilding and replacing worn out and damaged
cells and tissue and keeping our immune system strong. Your body’s
top priority is making sure it has enough nutrients to run its systems.
This means digesting food and converting it into nutrients. There is no
activity more important to the body than this. This takes a lot of energy
and enzymes, particularly if the body must make most or all of these enzymes.
Remember that no food can be digested without digestive enzymes.

Dr.
DicQie Fuller, in her book The Healing Power of Enzymes, emphasizes
the importance of enzymes for digestion:

"Eighty
percent of our body's energy is expended by the digestive process. If
you are run down, under stress, living in a very hot or very cold climate,
pregnant, or are a frequent air traveler, then enormous quantities of
extra enzymes are required by your body. Because our entire system functions
through enzymatic action, we must supplement our enzymes. Aging deprives
us of our ability to produce necessary enzymes. The medical profession
tells us that all disease is due to a lack or imbalance of enzymes. Our
very lives are dependent upon them!"

Which
digestive enzymes digest food?
You know that proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are the three main food
groups that make up the bulk of our daily diet. A "balanced"
diet means we consume the proper proportions of these three basic food
groups on a daily basis. This balance, when combined with the assurance
that we also get the essential nutrients, can help provide a healthy life
— IF we properly process and metabolize these nutrients. To do this
we also need an adequate source of the major types of digestive enzymes:
Proteases, Amylases, and Lipases.

There
are numerous categories of digestive enzymes, but for the purpose of this
discussion, we will cover the three primary classes of digestive enzymes
that digest our food. [NOTE: generally speaking, enzymes end with the
suffix "ase."]

* Statements
have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The
information contained here is for reference only and is not intended to
diagnose disease or prescribe treatment. The information contained herein
is in no way to be considered a substitute for consultation with a health
care professional. Furthermore, this information is for the private use
of our clients and is not to be used publicly, reproduced, or distributed
without the written consent of Enzyme Essentials, LLC